Surface treating apparatus



April 30, 1968 5. A. MA BILLE SURFACE TREATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Jan. 19, 1965 Hal/I22.

m 2 Z M /m w April 30, 1968 G. A. MABILLE SURFACE TREATING APPARATUS 2Sheets-SheetZ Filed Jan. 19, 1965 Inventor Georges Amhan y Mobil/eUnited States Patent 0 3,380,196 SURFACE TREATTNG APPARATUS GeorgesAnthony Mahille, Villepreux, France, assignor to PrornecamSisson-Lehmann, Saint-Denis, Seine, France, a corporation of FranceFiled Jan. 19, 1965, Sar. No. 426,487 6 Claims. (Cl. 519) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A mobile surface treating apparatus including centrifugalimpeller means for impelling a concentrated stream of particulatedmaterial against a surface to be treated, and means for collecting theparticulate material after the same has impinged on the surface and forfeeding the material back to the centrifugal impeller means by suction.

The invention relates to means for the projection of solid particles forthe mechanical treatment of plane or fiat surfaces for the purpose ofmodifying their physical or mechanical characteristics, or their surfacefinish, or their shape.

The systems presently known can be classified under two groups.

In the first group can be classified those stationary-type of machinesin which the surface to be treated is in relative motion with regard tothe flow of particles in order to bring the entire surface within thesphere of action of the machine.

As such machines must be tight as regards the abrasive particles used,and as regards the dust produced, they must operate in closed circuit,which means that the surface under treatment must be entirely enclosed.

When the parts to be treated are long and thin, these machines aregenerally shaped like a tunnel, a relative imperviousness being obtainedby means of chambers called sluices or lock-chambers situated fore andaft of the treatment chamber. When the parts to be treated are both longand large, as in the case of metal in sheetform, for example, thesethree chambers take on very large dimensions, so that means are requiredfor collecting the projected particles spread over a large surface andthat a large volume of air is required for collecting the dust.

Moreover, when the part under treatment comprises horizontal surfaces, acertain quantity of particles remain on the part and the expulsion ofthese particles requires the use of auxiliary means such as a blower orcyclone,

for example.

Again, transfer of the part under treatment requires an area fore andaft of the lock-chamber at least twice as large as that of the partitself. In this area are generally found various fixed handling devices,usually cumbersome and costly.

Belonging to the second group are various devices, mobile in respect ofthe part to be treated, which is generally fixed. These devices may ormay not carry their own systems for the recuperation and dedusting ofthe particles utilized during the treatment.

The invention relates more particularly to devices of the second groupequipped with a turbine for the projection of solid particles.

The object of the invention is the treatment of plane or flat surfaces,whatever their position in space (in particular the invention makespossible the treatment of the top part of horizontal surfaces) in acontinuous manner, proiection, recuperation and dedusting of theparticles utilized for the treatment being continuous.

An improvement, according to the invention, consists in submitting theflow of particles, before its impact on the part to a device forincreasing the concentration of the particles in the form of a nozzleprojecting the particles in lamellated formation of a given size.

The improvement confers on the products obtained a uniform treatment,the intensity of the bombardment being generally uniform over the wholesurface. It also limits the self-destruction of the system resultingfrom the rebound of the particles.

The device for increasing the concentration of the particles may take ondifferent shapes in harmony with the section of the part to be treated.

One of the direct applications of the invention is shotpeening fordescaling and cleaning large size sheets.

The invention also covers the mechanical treatment, by means of theprojection of particles, of plane surfaces which cannot be displaced,such as floor coverings, for example.

Other characteristics and advantages will now be made clear by thefollowing description of an embodiment of the invention of anon-restrictive character.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side elevation of this embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view;

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional view and an elevation of a modified form ofthe embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional view and an elevation of another form ofconstruction.

In the embodiment under consideration, the unit is carried by a frame,mobile relatively to the surface to be treated, such frame or othercarrying system remaining outside the scope of the invention.

In this form of the invention, the flow of particles generated by theturbine 1 is concentrated by the nozzle 2 and entering the chamber 3accomplishes the required treatment.

After their impact on the part under treatment, the particles insuspense in chamber 3 are drawn by the suction of the dedusting space 4,the chamber 3 finding its limits in a sealing ring 5 in contact with thesurface 6 under treatment so as to avoid the projection of particles anddust towards the exterior.

The sealing ring is pervious to the air, and atmospheric air is drawn inat a rapid speed into chamber 3, the ring acting as a screen for strayparticles.

The dedusting space 4 of chamber 3 is connected by ducts 7 to anexpansion chamber 8 on which is directly mounted the dedustingventilator 9.

The particles retained in the expansion chamber 8 fall into a reservoirtank 10 which feeds the turbine 1 by gravity, the flow being controlledby a diaphragm adjusted by means of a handle 11.

The expansion chamber 8 is set so as to retain only the quantity ofparticles, in proportion to the flow of air sucked in, sufiicient tocarry out the required treatment.

According to the invention, the level of the particles in the reservoir10 remains generally constant since the circulation is continuous.

This accumulation of particles in the reservoir generates a backpressure such that the flow of air from the chamber 3 to the expansionchamber 8 passing through the turbine, that is to say, outside of thesuction ducts, can be considered as nil.

The particles which are too small and also the dust carried along withthe particles into the dedusting chamber 4 are separated from thesuction air by a filtering device 12 functioning according to aseparating principle based on the porosity of the walls.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the filtering element consists of anoblong collector 12, supported by a flexible pole 13.

Flexion of this support being proportional to the weight of dustcontained in the collector, discloses, when the machine is stopped, towhat extent the dust collector is full.

In the modified form of embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the machinecomprises a chamber in contact at its open side with the surface to betreated 21. The stream of particles thrown out by the turbine 22 isconcentrated by the restricted opening of the nozzle 23 before strikingthe surface 21. A brush-type seal 24 prevents any leakage between thewall of the chamber and the surface 21. A conduit 25 puts the inside ofthe chamber in communication with the atmosphere. Baflies built into thewalls of the conduit prevent the particles from straying into theatmosphere.

After striking the surface under treatment, the particles and the airare carried away by the ducts 27 to the upper part of the cylindricalreservoir 28, the outlet of these ducts being positioned tangentially inrespect of the reservoir walls.

A suction nozzle 29 is mounted axially above the reservoir 28 andcommunicates with a ventilator 30 driven by a motor 31. The particlesretained in the reservoir 28 fall to the bottom of the reservoir andcollect in a hopper 32 fed directly by the reservoir. These particlesthen feed the turbine through pipe 33, which directs their fiow intochamber 20.

The whole system is mounted on a frame 35 which supports the weight ofthe system so as to avoid crushing the brush 24.

In the form of construction shown in FIG. 4, the machine is generallysimilar to that which has just been described and is carried by achassis fitted with wheels 42 which can be driven by a motor 43 andwhich run on rails 41. The frame 44 which carries the active unit(proiecting the abrasive particles) is itself supported on the chassis40 by rollers 45 running on rails 46 rigidly mounted on the chassis 40.

Displacement of the active unit is controlled by a hand wheel 47 drivingthrough a gear and chain drive, one of the pairs of rollers 45.Adjustment of the height of .the active unit is obtained by means of ahand wheel 48. The frame of the active unit is itself supported byrollers 53 in contact with the surface to be treated 21.

Also visible in FIG. 4 are the motor 49 driving the turbine 22, a lever50 for controlling the flow of abrasive particles, and also a dustcollector or filtering element 51 communicating with a ventilator 30 andsupported at its outer extremity by a flexible pole 52.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment herein described but toall variations within the scope of the in- Garden.

What I claim is:

1. A mobile surface treating apparatus comprising, in

combination, chamber means having an open end adapted to be directedagainst a surface to be treated; a nozzle located at least in part insaid chamber means and having an outlet end directed toward said surfaceand an inlet end; centrifugal impeller means located above andsubstantially aligned with said inlet end of said nozzle for impellingparticulated material in downward direction through said nozzle againstsaid surface; a reservoir arranged above said impeller means and havingan inlet opening and an outlet opening; passage means providingcommunication between said outlet opening of said reservoir and saidcentrifugal impeller means; and suction means communicating with saidchamber means laterally from said outlet end of said nozzle and withsaid inlet opening of said reservoir so that particulated material afterhaving impinged on said surface is transported from said surface bysuction into said reservoir to be recirculated by said passage means andsaid impeller means through said apparatus.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including expansion chambermeans upstream of and communicating with said inlet opening of saidreservoir, said suction means feeding said particulated material fromsaid chamber means into said expansion chamber means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, and including filter meanscommunicating with said suction means for separating dust from saidparticulated material.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said filter meanscomprises a container having porous walls, and an elongated flexiblemember supporting said container on a free end thereof and beingarranged to be flexed to an increasing degree as said container fills upwith dust to thus indicate the amount of dust in said container.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including adjustable valvemeans in said passage means for regulating the amount of particulatedmaterial passing from said reservoir into said impeller means.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including support means forsupporting said chamber means and the other components of said apparatusmovable over a substantially horizontal surface to be treated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,263,321 11/1941 Unger Sl92,455,514 12/1948 Mead 5l8 2,810,991 10/1957 Mead et al. 51-8 3,015,913l/1963 Anderson 51-9 3,034,262 5/ 1962 Pawlson 519 3,075,318 1/1963Dilliard et al 518 3,262,228 7/ 1966 Schenck 51-9 LESTER M. SWINGLE,Primary Examiner.

